Penn State’s poultry judging team places fourth in national contest

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Department of Animal Science’s poultry judging team placed fourth overall at the 48th Annual National Collegiate Poultry Judging, held in Fayetteville, Ark., in early November.

The team placed second in the Egg Production and Quality division and fourth in the Broiler Selection and Carcass Quality division.

Team members included Jillian Koren, Boyertown; Amy Mayer, Dalton; Dylan Lape, Lebanon; and Corissa Steimling, Gettysburg. The team was coached by Phillip Clauer, senior instructor in poultry science.

Egg production

Koren was fourth overall individual, and placed third in Egg Production and Quality division and 11th in the Broiler Selection and Carcass Quality division. Mayer was eighth overall, and tied for fifth for Egg Production and Quality Division and was 12th in the Broiler Selection and Carcass Quality division.

The team has not placed lower than fourth since they began participating in the contest ten years ago.

Selection

Students are selected for the team by enrolling in a 15-week poultry science course and competing for a spot during the spring semester. The team then completes a rigorous nine-week training program to prepare for the fall contest.

Ten universities and 40 students participated. Texas A & M University won the contest, followed by the University of Arkansas, second; Kansas State University, third; and Mississippi State University, fifth.

Others who participated were Louisiana State University, North Carolina State University, University of Wisconsin River Falls, the Ohio State University, and University of Georgia.

Close

This was a close contest, only 32 points separated 1st place from 4th place out of a possible 4500 points.

The Egg Production division includes seven classes: ranking two classes of five production hens for past production traits, two classes of five Pullets for future production traits and grading three 25 egg classes of exterior quality, interior candled and broken-out.

In the Breed Selection division, there are eight classes: ranking a male and female eight-week-old broiler class, a male and female class of 24-week-old broiler breeders, a male and female class of turkey breeders and grading two classes of 25 ready-to-cook carcasses for USDA grade standards.